Review Using the RUIXIN PRO III knife sharpener

[Mr.Wizard]

Blues I had no intention to do so! To the contrary I was saying I have read that those things are total junk and produce only frustration. Or are you saying the Ruixin Pro is (also) a knockoff and counterfeit? And if so why did you quote me?

 

[Blues]

Blues I had no intention to do so! To the contrary I was saying I have read that those things are total junk and produce only frustration. Or are you saying the Ruixin Pro is (also) a knockoff and counterfeit? And if so why did you quote me?

Because you juxtaposed counterfeits and knockoffs with affordable options in the quoted paragraph...which can be misconstrued as to your intent. I am not assigning blame or making a presumption about your intent...but merely stating (for the record) that we do not allow the promotion of counterfeits and knockoffs (knowingly) on this site.

I am not familiar with the Ruixin Pro. My only guided system is the Edge Pro Apex which I have owned for several years but which is woefully underused. (I hope to give it more exercise in the coming months.)

 

[sickpuppy1]

Almost everything ruixin pro makes is knock off and stolen ideas. Made with mediocre materials and imprecise settings. Have used them and would have had better results investing in bubble gum. But thats just my opinions.
They would be better served just making their little finger cuffs and plastic whistles.

 

[sickpuppy1]

And rubber dog poop!

 

[kreisler]

And rubber dog poop!

i think that seals it

 

[Gritomatic]

Gritomatic Are these good enough to actually use? Would you recommend this (with some better stones) to people with a total budget under $100?

No, at least the current revision. It has a few issues.
1) The vertical rod is too close to the clamp. There is no 100% utilization of 6" stone. And you punch the pivot unit all the time. If you put a stopper or spring, it will limit movement even more.
2) There is wobble in the pivot unit.
3) There is wobble in the rotary unit.
However, general quality and precision are higher than all previous sharpeners from Chinese copycats.
The sharpener in the lowest price segment but demands a lot from the user (to eliminate wobble, to avoid punches, to lubricate the pivot). If sold on Amazon, it would probably get less then 3 stars.

 

[RustyIron]

It was a few years ago that I decided to start sharpening my knives on a more serious level. I wanted to go with the Edge Pro, but was DEFINITELY NOT going to throw down that kind of cash. Amazon had a LOT of clones in the 30+ dollar range. Ruixin was one of the clones, but really, they were all IDENTICAL. Even the pictures were the same, only the labeling was different. It didn't matter which one I got, and I can't even remember the name.

Immediately my sharpening game improved. The learning curve was easy and the results were immediate. But... the cheap clone was... cheap. Some threaded inserts soon pulled out, which would have rendered the unit worthless. No biggie, though. I have talent and a lot of epoxy. I was able to patch the clone together so that it lasted a couple years. So my first bit of advice is that if you go the cheap route, expect to do repairs.

The next lesson was stones. The cheap stones did fine at first. But as my skill progressed, I started experimenting with top-shelf stones. The cheap stones are only a couple bucks apiece. If you want to know why experienced sharpeners use expensive stones, buy some. Granted, the stones that come with an Edge Pro are not my favorite, but they're a LOT better than the cheap stones.

The last lesson was with the cheap itself. After repairing it, it worked fine. And after getting ex$pen$ive stones, it did even better. But the cheap clone was a little sloppy, and that was evident from Day One. Eventually I decided that I really should throw down the cash for a REAL Edge Pro. It made a LOT of difference. It's sturdier, much less slop, and it allows me to do MUCH better work. I suspect my experience would have been the same if I got a Wicked Edge clone.

SUMMARY:
A cheap clone might be good to get you started, and there's nothing wrong with that. But if you want a little more advantage, you can spend a little more and get a quality tool.

Inappropriate references to politics and nationality removed from post by moderator. Please refrain from making disparaging political remarks in future posts in these forums.

 

[RustyIron]

Moderator:
Thank you for not deleting the entire post, as it took effort to write and I believe the content is relevant to those considering purchasing tools of differing qualities.

 

[Blues]

Moderator:
Thank you for not deleting the entire post, as it took effort to write and I believe the content is relevant to those considering purchasing tools of differing qualities.

I thought so too. You're welcome.

 

[bucketstove]

B bucketstove Have you used other Ruixin models?

Hi,
I haven't used any only seen videos from users/modders

No, at least the current revision. It has a few issues.
1) The vertical rod is too close to the clamp. There is no 100% utilization of 6" stone. And you punch the pivot unit all the time. If you put a stopper or spring, it will limit movement even more.
2) There is wobble in the pivot unit.
3) There is wobble in the rotary unit.
However, general quality and precision are higher than all previous sharpeners from Chinese copycats.
The sharpener in the lowest price segment but demands a lot from the user (to eliminate wobble, to avoid punches, to lubricate the pivot). If sold on Amazon, it would probably get less then 3 stars.

Good info
In one of the reviews, a guy mentions a decimal ( .4 or ??? ) ... angle difference when flipping when clamp is EMPTY , as fvdk shows, flipping accuracy is good
Here are some simple modifications
imgur.com/a/GJsAuja
add a washer to extend "run" and allow full/fuller use of stone length
wood could be used

replace ball with metal ball , a comment suggests bronze bushing ...

screenshots from this video, description has links
Убийца APEX доработка китайской точилки Ruixin Pro - Aleks STallinn

 

[fvdk]

I have been sharpening for more than 40 years and I have the Wicked Edge, KME, Thormek T7 as well as a bunch of other sharpeners. Most of these are superb quality and will last a lifetime. I love these systems and I can recommend them to anyone who wants a qood system with a proven quality and seller warranty. It is obvious that The Ruixin is in another category and should not be compared to systems that are 10 times as expensive and you should not expect the same quality or any factory support but for the price, there is nothing wrong with it.

Every sharpening systems has it's quirks and has a learning curve and most of them are best for certain types of knifes. For example, I still prefer my 1970's Lansky set for my Victorinox and traditional pocket knives.

You can have the most expensive system but if you do not understand the basic sharpening principles or understand how to deal with the quirks of each system, your results will suck. On the other hand, you can get very good results with cheap systems if you know how to use them. So if you can not afford the more expensive systems or if you just occasionally want to sharpen a knife than these might be a good option.

Just for illustration, I just sharpened a €1.- knife to mirror polish with the Ruixin. This one was less than €50.- including all of the stones which is cheaper than just one set of stones for my Wicked Edge.

As you can see in the video, the angle change when flipping is negligible.

BTW... in my opinion, there is an inherent design flaw with sharpening systems that use an Edge Pro type of pivot arm where the pivot point is off-set and rotates around the vertical rod. When swinging the stone carrier from left to right, the pivot point moves forward and backward thus changing the angle. Langrangian illustrates this very well in this thread:
https://www.bladeforums.com/threads/geometry-and-kinematics-of-guided-rod-sharpeners.1131476/ and this video

 

[RustyIron]

BTW... in my opinion, there is an inherent design flaw with sharpening systems that use an Edge Pro type of pivot arm where the pivot point is off-set and rotates around the vertical rod. When swinging the stone carrier from left to right, the pivot point moves forward and backward thus changing the angle.

Thanks for the thoughtful post. With care, one can use the tool to achieve an aesthetically consistent edge.

An easy way to understand the effect is to look at the table/blade and the pivot shaft as forming two sides of a triangle. The length of those sides remains constant. As you rotate the stone arm, the distance between the pivot and where it contacts the table/blade is increased. It's easy to see that the angle between the blade and the stone is decreased.

Since you brought up angle deviation, it would seem you care about accuracy. In your video, I see an angle block. I was tempted at one time, but never got one because I didn't think it would be accurate enough. Are they really worthwhile? I use a collar, a pen, experience, and finesse to get good results, but am always on the lookout for new gadgets to play with. Should I get one?

 

[fvdk]

Since you brought up angle deviation, it would seem you care about accuracy. In your video, I see an angle block. I was tempted at one time, but never got one because I didn't think it would be accurate enough. Are they really worthwhile? I use a collar, a pen, experience, and finesse to get good results, but am always on the lookout for new gadgets to play with. Should I get one?

I have three different angle cubes, the one in the video, the Igaging and the DXL360 and yes, they are accurate enough. Especially for the wicked edge, they are very useful to check if both arms are set to the same angle. For other systems they are also very handy to quickly set the angle, especially if you want to sharpen all knives of a certain type to the same angle. That said, there are also enough good and free apps for your smartphone that will achieve the same results but the angle cubes (especially with magnets on three sides) are easier to use.

Of course, if you just want to match an existing edge than a sharpie to find the angle and a collar for compensating difference in stone thickness do the trick.

 

[Gritomatic]

in my opinion, there is an inherent design flaw with sharpening systems that use an Edge Pro type of pivot arm where the pivot point is off-set and rotates around the vertical rod. When swinging the stone carrier from left to right, the pivot point moves forward and backward thus changing the angle.

This is true! Manufacturers of sharpening systems ignore this factor for many reasons. The angle change becomes noticeable only in specific conditions: 1) the pivot unit must be VERY high (corresponding to 30-40 degrees) 2) the guide rod must swing VERY far to right/left (blades over 10"). (I can share math if anyone interested.) According to Edge Pro guidelines, all sharpening must be done close to the center, and the user should move the blade if necessary. It means that the angle difference appears only if the user decides to use the sharpener not as intended.
In normal conditions, the angle difference caused by pivot unit mobility can be ignored because it's not related to the consistency (the effect is similar to natural sharpening angle change for any curved blade).

 

[Pricelessbrewing]

I've been looking into getting a Ruixin Pro III, but want to make sure I'm getting all the recommended secondary additions.

Do you use use any polishing compound other than 0.5 micron with the ruixin guided PTS method? Should this be after, or instead of the balsa compound loaded strop process? Do I need to get an additional high grit stone after the included ruixin set, or is that an additional benefit needed for super sharp (s

I don't so much care about mirror polished edges, just want consistent clean sharp and durable working edges.

Edit: Wrong thread sorry! Meant to post in, https://bladeforums.com/threads/using-the-ruixin-pro-iii-knife-sharpener.1538366/page-2

 

[Pricelessbrewing]

I've been looking into getting a Ruixin Pro III, but want to make sure I'm getting all the recommended secondary additions.

Do you use use any polishing compound other than 0.5 micron with the ruixin guided PTS method? Should this be after, or instead of the balsa compound loaded strop process? Do I need to get an additional high grit stone after the included ruixin set, or is that an additional benefit needed for super sharp (s

I don't so much care about mirror polished edges, just want consistent clean sharp and durable working edges.

Also thanks for the very thorough overview, it obviously took a very long time to go over all the details and make the writeups for this, and your PTS method.

 

[kreisler]

Thanks for your interest! Am really(!) sorry for the confusion and length tl;dr of many of my posts, i never manage to express my ideas succinctly.
Here are my definite and definitive practical recommendations regarding RUIXIN PRO III, the way to go:

1. The included original RUIXIN1500 white stone does a fantastic job (up to near mirror finish, depending on your technique). No, a beginner doesn't need to get a higher grit stone, just spend a couple of months with the device and its four stones. Once you got the hang of everything, feel free to add one chinese ruby stone: it's easier/faster to get a sharper knife with such a higher grit stone.
2. Don't use a stone higher/finer than the chinese ruby, no matter its actual grit rating. Just saying, my chinese RUBY3000 is about as fine as Spyderco UF, if not minimally finer, but i cannot guarantee that your purchased chinese ruby will be as nice. CPQL. Chinese production quality lottery
3. Don't use loaded balsa (or loaded leather) as Ruixin strops. Instead, after the RUIXIN1500 or the RUBY3000, directly use the PTS method (which employs balsa as base for the paper tape). You'll need just 1 such strop. The loaded paper tape is good for the 2 bevel sides of 1 knife only, then bin the blackened tape right away, apply a fresh stripe of tape on the balsa and apply the next finer polishing compound or paste, etc. Don't leave the tape (loaded or not!) on the balsa base during storage. Clean the balsa surface once in a while with rubbing alcohol to clear from adhesive residues, oil residues, compound leakage.
4. Since i ran out of chinese diamond paste (12 syringes 0.5-40micron set for 6$ shipped from AliX?), i use fast-cutting compounds made by OSBORN gemani and MERARD france, either in a 2-stage or 3-stage succession (WHITE-BLUE, or WHITE-BLUE-ORANGE). CAUTION: the PTS method is extremely effective, i.e. fast-cutting, even with the cheapest chinese diamond pastes. You'll see that by how fast the paper tape blackens. PT-stropping will eat up all macro burr, all micro burr, all remaining scratches (even from your RUIXIN1500 stone!), it will totally straighten a toothy apex line, but it will also consume your blade .. faster than you think. So better not spend too much time PT-stropping on the Ruixin device.

"durable working edge" .. that's a different topic

 

[Pricelessbrewing]

Also looking at the ruixin rx- 008 with the C-clamp base instead that can flip over.

 

[kreisler]

P Pricelessbrewing the 008 looks good on the pictures! I also saw new inexpensive spare parts for the ruixin sharpeners on AliX, amongst others:

I am wondering if the metal ball is a steel ball, hence wear-resistant. Anyone knows?

 

[Pricelessbrewing]

P Pricelessbrewing the 008 looks good on the pictures!

Yeah I like the idea of the flipping mechanism, which should minimize the angle difference when flipping the blade. Also the lack of a screw or nut going downward looks like it would alloe for more acute angles. Only issue I possibly see is very small knives or scissors look like they might be an issue but no reason a magnet couldn't be added for that scenario.